Ovens using high power radiant elements such as halogen tungsten lamps cook food quickly with infrared radiation. When cooking with infrared radiant elements the energy impinging upon the food surface is conducted into the interior of the food. The conduction of this infrared radiant energy varies substantially from food to food. Due to the high intensity of the infrared radiant elements used in these ovens many foods require that the output power level or intensity of the elements be changed during the cooking process to assure that the food item is properly cooked. The change in the output power level of the elements allows the food time to conduct the infrared radiant energy into the interior of the food without burning the food surface. Accordingly, the user of the oven is required to develop a unique data base or recipe for each food. A recipe consists of a number of stages or segments each of which defines the output power level or intensity of each of the infrared radiant elements for a period of time. Known ovens using infrared radiant cooking elements limit the recipe to two stages. For example, an oven with three infrared radiant elements A, B and C might have the following recipe for a specific food: A at 100% intensity, B at 70% intensity and C at 100% intensity for 30 seconds; and, A at 50% intensity, B at 50% intensity and C at 20% intensity for 60 seconds.
By limiting the number of stages the creativity in recipe development is restricted. Furthermore, by limiting the number of stages even the variety of foods which can be cooked is reduced. In these known ovens the user is required to enter the intensity level of each radiant element and the cooking time manually into a control or memory before the cooking process begins. During the cooking cycle the output power levels or intensity of the infrared radiant elements and the time periods are controlled in accord with the recipe as is well known to one of ordinary skill in the field. After the cooking is complete the user must analyze the food's quality. If the food is not satisfactorily cooked, the user must adjust the recipe by changing the intensity level of at least one element or the length of the time periods or stages or both and then cook the identical food again. This trial and error method of recipe development must be repeated until the food item is properly cooked. Once the recipe or data base is finalized it is stored in memory for future use in cooking the same food item. This trial and error method of recipe development is time consuming and frustrating to the user.
Accordingly, there is a need for an oven having high power infrared radiant elements which uses a method for the real time development of recipes having at least two stages. In addition, there is a need for such an oven which allows the user to develop a multiple stage recipe in real time by varying the intensity of the cooking elements during the cooking processes and to store the recipe in memory thereby avoiding the trial and error methodology of developing a recipe while providing the user flexibility in recipe development.